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High school students should take construction, shop and trade courses that focus on measuring and using math skills to estimate. Knowledge of trigonometry, confidently using the Pythagorean theorem, and calculating volume and slope will be used daily in the trade.

Completion of high school classes does not count for hours in the apprenticeship program, but the experience and classes taken are valuable to building students’ skill sets and should be discussed in the interview portion of the apprenticeship application.

A two-year diploma is not required to qualify for an apprenticeship with Local 512. However, credits may count toward the apprenticeship program if a student takes construction-related classes at one of the following programs: Minneapolis Community & Technical College, Humboldt High School, Dakota County Area Learning School (DCALS) and Roseville ALC. Call Local 512 at 651.489.3829 prior to signing up for post-secondary opportunities to confirm credits transfer.

An ironworker apprenticeship with Local 512 is a three-year paid program in which apprentices receive on-the-job practical training and classroom instruction. Apprentices must complete 6,000 hours of on-the-job training and 204 hours of classroom work each year. Related training classes are held two nights per week, September through May. Class fees are approximately $400 per semester with all textbooks and materials.

Applications are accepted year-round. Get application and schedule an interview, here.

Prior to placement with a contractor, each selected candidate will be required to successfully complete a drug screen, attend orientation and training classes in OSHA 10, OSHA Sub-Part R, MSHA and First Aid/CPR before final acceptance into the program.

Applicants selected for job placement must be able to furnish their own transportation, pay school tuition, purchase tools, be agreeable to a certain amount of travel, and be aware of periods of unemployment due to the lack of construction activity.

Iron Workers must provide their own hand tools as necessary for the type of work they are performing. Initial cost for the basic tools an apprentice will need is from $350.00 to $600.00.

Iron Workers must be able to furnish their own transportation and be agreeable to a certain amount of travel. Many times construction sites are located outside of the Twin Cities metropolitan area and require reliable transportation.

When an ironworker can demonstrate competence in vital skills, the apprenticeship will be complete and participants will graduate as a journey-level construction trades worker. After joining the union, apprentices will be eligible for healthcare and dental insurance after 350 hours of work is completed within a quarter.

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Manual dexterity, and the ability to interpret blueprints and knowledge to safely operate the tools of the trade. The work is very physical, so it will also require healthy individuals with good stamina, agility and balance.

For high school students preparing to become an ironworker, part-time jobs that require a person to work with metals and measure and cut dimensions easily can build valuable experience.

Military members do not receive direct entry into the apprenticeship program but their service will reflect positively in the interview.